Illegal Israeli settlers have been filmed preventing Palestinians from returning to their land in the town of Sair, north of Hebron.
Witnesses reported that the Israeli army fired tear gas at residents, causing many to suffer near-suffocation and were treated at the scene.
Sair Mayor Musa el-Furuh said that the residents' return to their land was the implementation of a decision made by the Israeli court, saying, "Jewish settlers prevented Palestinian families from returning to their homes and attacked them."
"Instead of implementing the court order, the army declared the area a 'closed military zone' and prevented residents from accessing their land," he said.
He reminded that Israeli Supreme Court in early March that the Palestinians, who were forced to leave their homes in November 2024 due to attacks by Israelis who had usurped Palestinian land, had received a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court ordering their return.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
SHOTLIST:
HEBRON, WEST BANK, PALESTINE (AUG. 18, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)
1. VARIOUS OF CURET EL-HALIL BEDEVI AREA, LOCATED IN THE RURAL AREA OF TOWN OF SAIR IN NORTH OF HEBRON / JEWISH SETTLERS BLOCKING WAY OF PALESTINIANS / ISRAELI SOLDIERS IN AREA
2. SAIR MAYOR MUSA EL-FURUH SPEAKING TO REPORTER
3. VARIOUS OF CURET EL-HALIL BEDEVI AREA, LOCATED IN THE RURAL AREA OF TOWN OF SAIR IN NORTH OF HEBRON / JEWISH SETTLERS BLOCKING WAY OF PALESTINIANS / ISRAELI SOLDIERS IN AREA HEBRON, WEST BANK, PALESTINE - AUG. 18, 2025: Israeli army used bulldozers to destroy commercial facilities in the city of Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank on Monday (Aug. 18) and Israelis who usurped Palestinian land prevented some Palestinians from returning to their land.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to Anadolu reported that Israeli bulldozers demolished some commercial facilities in the Ineb el-Kebire area of Er-Ramadin, south of Hebron, on the grounds of unlicensed construction.
Witnesses reported that the Israeli army fired tear gas at residents, causing many to suffer near-suffocation and were treated at the scene.
Meanwhile, settlers under the protection of the Israeli army prevented Palestinians living in the Curet el-Halil Bedevi area, located in the rural area of town of Sair in north of Hebron, from returning to their lands.
Sair Mayor Musa el-Furuh spoke to Anadolu and said that the residents' return to their land was the implementation of a decision made by the Israeli court, saying, "Jewish settlers prevented Palestinian families from returning to their homes and attacked them."
"Instead of implementing the court order, the army declared the area a 'closed military zone' and prevented residents from accessing their land," he said.
He reminded that Israeli Supreme Court in early March that the Palestinians, who were forced to leave their homes in November 2024 due to attacks by Israelis who had usurped Palestinian land, had received a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court ordering their return.
Furuh said, "While the army should have ensured the return of the residents today, it provided protection to the Israelis who had usurped Palestinian land."
He reminded that the Palestinians, who had to leave their homes in November 2024 due to the attacks of the Israelis who usurped Palestinian lands, received a decision from the Israeli Supreme Court at the beginning of March to return to their homes.
Furuh said, "While the army should have ensured the return of the residents today, it provided protection to the Israelis who had usurped Palestinian land."
Israel widely uses the pretext of a lack of construction permits to demolish Palestinian homes, especially in Area C in the occupied West Bank, which constitutes around 60% of its space.
Under the 1995 Oslo Accords between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, was divided into three portions – Area A, B, and C.
Area C is under Israel’s administrative and security control until a final status agreement is reached with the Palestinians.
Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, at least 993 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.
In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
